It Takes a Village

A few months ago, I had an interaction in the parking lot of my local Costco that stayed on my mind throughout the summer. I noticed a minivan parked next to my car, and beside it stood a young mom with three kids. The door to the van was open, and their cart blocked my path, so I waited at the trunk of my car until I could approach the driver’s side door.

As I stood there, I noticed the mom struggling to strap the baby in a car seat while the middle child sat holding a pizza in the basket of their shopping cart. The child in the cart wanted to climb out, and although big sister, standing next to the cart, tried holding it in place, the cart began rolling toward me. I stopped the cart and held onto it as the child inside handed the pizza to sister, then climbed out. After the pizza and the child were safely out of the cart, I pushed it across the parking lot to the cart corral. When I returned to my car, mom had finished up with the car seat and looked grateful. She thanked me for helping with the cart and then said, “It takes a village.” I smiled and replied with “yes, it does.”

That interaction left me thinking about the often quoted saying used when talking about raising kids: “It takes a village to raise a child.” As someone who does not have children of her own, I frequently think about how my work in Christian formation invites me to be part of the “village” for other families. I think about how my ministry supports the work of parents and caregivers, and how I have the responsibility to teach and nurture young people as they grow. This is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. However, I’ve always thought about the “village” being filled with people who know and are actively involved in a kid’s life. My interaction with that mom and her kids—a family I do not personally know and may never see again—made me think differently about the people in our villages.

Villages can also be filled with people who care and support and love, even if our interactions with them are brief.  Members of our congregations and faith communities are included in the village, even if they don’t directly volunteer with our ministries.

While moving through our church’s summer programming, I continued seeing the “it takes a village” mantra showing up in my ministry. One night during Vacation Bible School, I texted a volunteer thanking her for teaching the couple of days she was available. She responded by saying that VBS is “such a great reminder of the amazing village at RLC.” She commented on how many parts, made possible by many different people’s gifts and talents, come together to create a fun, meaningful experience for the kids. I wholeheartedly agreed.

But I didn’t just see this during VBS. While on our high school service trip in Minnesota, we received many prayers and encouraging messages from people at home following our journey. Mentors and Sunday school teachers wrote notes to our kids attending summer camp. People asked questions about programs, how things went, and shared their excitement for what we learned and experienced. In many ways, the village of our congregation helped nurture and grow the faith of the children and youth in our care all summer long.

It matters that people in our congregations and faith communities are a part of the village. In fact, we are called to do it. In my (Lutheran) tradition’s baptismal liturgy, the assembly promises to do this, not just the caregivers and godparents or baptismal sponsors. At a baptism, the presiding minster asks the assembled this question: “People of God, do you promise to support _____ and pray for them in their new life in Christ?” and the people respond: “We do” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 228). This question isn’t just asked of people who are already in relationship with the baptized and their family, nor is it just asked of people who may be Sunday school teachers or mentors or have some other direct influence on the life of the baptized. Instead, this question is asked of everyone present; the whole body of Christ makes the promise to be a part of the village.

As summer winds down and we enter a new school year (and, if your church is like mine, a new program year), may we be people who are willing to step up and be a part of the village. And may we invite others to do the same.